Girl Talk
by paynesgrey
Summary: Claire and Elle share a sparkling conversation about their first memories of Peter. Spoilers for Season Two.  Elle x Claire, Elle x Peter


AN: Spoilers for Season Two, "Truth and Consequences"

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Girl Talk 

Claire rolled her eyes and leaned onto her elbows. "Elle, why did you take me here?"

Elle smiled, noticing Claire's perturbed expression. "Relax. I just wanted to take you here because it sort of looks like that place where I first staked you out."

"Right, the one where you bumbled your drink in your lap, and I punched my fist through your window," Claire said scoffing. Elle watched as Claire looked ahead to the calm lake in front of them. "It doesn't matter. It's over anyway." Claire turned her head curiously to Elle. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, what made you change?"

Elle inhaled a heavy draught of breath. "Well, I wanted to be free." And suddenly with her words she felt very vulnerable and exposed. Elle sat up and looked down at Claire, still reclining and watching her with interest. "I wished that my father had been like yours. I thought that he was."

"Hey..." Claire leaned up and placed a comforting hand on her arm. Elle looked down at her touch, and she felt odd about it. She never had any real girlfriends before, but for some odd reason she felt connected to Claire. Sure, they didn't meet on friendly terms at first, but as Elle learned more about her, her feelings started changing - about a lot of things.

Her time with the Company was over. Somewhere in the thicket of things, she turned her heel and didn't look back. She had a calling much bigger than what her Daddy had wanted for her. Sure, she still loved her Daddy.

Idly, Elle's fingers traced over Claire's hand, and she felt the girl freeze. Their eyes met in a deadlock. Elle grinned.

"Come on, Claire. Let me do it," Elle asked happily, bouncing in her spot.

Claire rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't hold back the smile. "You are so warped."

Elle cocked her head to her. "Come on, the first time you asked me to do it, you told me you liked it." Elle paused, and she reveled in the way Claire blushed, furrowing her brow. Aw, she was upset. Elle decided to play some more. "You said that you deserved the pain for your past mistakes."

"Stop it. I'm going back to the car." Claire began to stand up, and Elle frowned at her, still intent on getting her way. She pouted, but Claire wouldn't budge lightly. "Look, Peter and Nathan are coming over tomorrow. I know my mom said you could stay for us for awhile, well, until you get settled. I haven't seen them in awhile, and I really miss Peter." Claire's voice trailed off. "I thought he was dead for so long."

Elle felt her body heat rise at the thought of Peter. Oh, she remembered him. "Peter, you say..." A smile spread over her face. "Hmm... I didn't know this."

Claire's eyes darkened and she crossed her arms, glaring at Elle. "Okay, okay, I don't need to hear this story again."

Elle hopped up, grabbing Claire's arm. "But it's a fun story. It's the story on how I met your uncle." Claire visibly shuddered, and Elle chuckled.

"I'm going to enjoy seeing Peter again. He's so wide-eyed and noble. So trustworthy." Elle jumped up, startling Claire as well. "Oh. My. God." Claire knew Elle was playing again. "Do you think he remembers me? How do you think he'll act?"

Claire grimaced. "Ugh. Look, I don't know. I don't even care. That's between you and Peter. Just... do me a favor and let me get in a hello before you start to go all Jessica Rabbit on him?"

Elle giggled, feeling uncannily youthful in Claire's presence. The poor girl seemed unnerved by Elle's interest in her uncle. Elle leaned in close to Claire's face, way beyond the etiquette of proper personal space, and she peered curiously into the girl's green eyes.

"Hey, you're not jealous, are you? I mean, that would be sort of creepy, but I'd understand. Hero worship and all." Elle could barely suppress the smile as Claire's face blanched at the insinuation.

"Of course not, _ew_. It wasn't like that at all." Claire sighed heavily, and she plopped back down on the ground, giving into Elle's whims. Elle snuggled up beside her, waiting for story time.

"Tell me about it again." Elle paused and then added, "And then let me do that other thing I asked."

Claire shot her an exasperated look. "One thing at a time, you!"

Elle giggled, staring at Claire with anticipation. She watched the girl's supple lips open as she spoke.

"Peter was amazing. He was my hero. He came all the way across the country just to save my life. He made me realize I wasn't a freak." Claire's eyes fell to her hands fidgeting in her lap. "He made me feel like I wasn't alone."

Silence wedged between them, but Elle swayed her body impatiently against Claire's. Claire coughed and then said, "The fact that he turned out to be my uncle was just some bizarre joke by the universe. In one way it was a gift, and in another, it just seemed ... ridiculously coincidental."

Elle sighed loudly, hugging her knees and glancing out into the lake. "I'd say. What kind of fairy tale story is that?"

"It's not," Claire answered flatly. She started to get up again. "That's why I don't care if you like him. Although, you might be too messed up for him. The last girl was pretty tame compared to you."

Elle laughed, grabbing onto Claire's leg. "Come on, Claire. Don't leave. And let me buzz you just a little. I like to see your face."

"Oh my God, you _are _warped," Claire said groaning. She tried to break free of Elle's grasp, but Elle wasn't budging. Instead, Elle continued to laugh, pulling at her.

"Hey, do you want me to tell you how good your uncle kisses?" Elle asked out of the blue. Claire froze. Her face went _really _pale this time. Elle cooed in delight.

"Um... no!" Claire shouted, though she did somewhat hesitate.

"You thought about it! Ooh!" Elle said. She dragged Claire down on her bottom to the ground again. Claire turned and glared at her. Elle grinned widely, showing her teeth. "So, do you want to know?"

"Why would I?" she asked snottily. Elle could tell Claire was getting irritated with her. She wanted to know how far she could push her.

"You do, I know it." Elle tilted her head and sighed. "Don't argue with me, Pom Pom."

Claire's lip curled. "Okay, now you are getting annoying." Claire looked at Elle's entranced face, but she couldn't stay mad. Claire's face softened, and Elle threw up her hands, unconsciously grabbing some of the electricity from the air. A flash of lightning buzzed past Claire's face. Claire was about to protest, but Elle quickly interrupted.

"He's really good. He made my toes melt, like my whole body was full of Slusho." Claire shot her an unimpressed glance, but Elle ignored it. Just remembering how Peter grabbed her, took her powers, and then held her against his chest. She licked her lips. "He's so _hot_."

Claire said nothing, but Elle could tell she was more than slightly disturbed. Elle continued, "You'd never think so, not from how docile and goody-goody he acts, but he's aggressive." Elle cocked her head, feeling her body cool as she remembered the truth. "It's too bad he did it just to manipulate me." She laughed at herself. The noise came out more forced and awkward than she expected. She hated that Claire was looking at her with sympathy now.

To avoid any further awkwardness, Elle shrugged it off, pointing her finger to the ground and stirring up an errant charge. "Whatever."

"Hey, look," Claire said, and Elle recognized the tone of her voice had changed. It'd become lighter. "At least ... at least you said it was good."

"Yeah..." Elle agreed, looking into the sunset again. She turned to Claire, her eyebrow rising. "What? Don't tell me Fly Boy wasn't so good?"

Claire's brow furrowed. She pointed a finger at her. "Don't even go there."

Elle snickered.

"West was really nice..." Claire said resolutely, making Elle crack up even louder. Claire could no longer suppress the grin. "It's just that I wish he would have kissed me instead of trying to drown me..."

"Ooh!" Elle hollered, kicking her feet. "I knew it! I knew it just by looking at him." Elle turned to Claire as her laughter started to die down. "I bet you tasted him for days."

Claire then punched Elle in the arm. "Shut up! It's not funny anymore."

It only amused Elle more, and she returned Claire's punch with a shock. Claire jumped, and she gave Elle a dangerous glare. Elle tittered with excitement. She zapped her again.

"Why you!" Claire lunged at her, and she was holding her arms down as Elle struggled, yet unable to stop giggling. Sparks flew again, and Elle began to fight back, and she flipped Claire onto her back. Claire's strength surged again, and soon the two girls were rolling around on the ground, trying to overturn each other while laughing like mad.

Elle let out another quick zap to her nose. "Ow!" Claire tightened her grip around Elle's wrists, but the girl had Claire on her back again. She froze for a moment, watching as the cheerleader's blond hair fanned out beneath her. Claire's eyes were swirling with wild energy.

Suddenly, Elle became entranced again. She loosened her grip, and she leaned in closely. Claire tensed underneath her.

Elle bent down, tracing her lips over Claire's. Claire made a noise of surprise against her. Her arms completely relaxed in Elle's grasp. Then, her lips broke past Claire's and automatically searched out her tongue. Elle smiled against her, teasing her tongue and softly, stealing her taste. Elle nibbled lightly on Claire's quivering lip. She tasted like honey and peppermint, and Elle leaned in more, pushing against her. She felt exploratory, and her hand snaked inside Claire's shirt.

Instantly, Claire jumped back. "Elle! Just what are you doing?" Claire looked horrified, though there was a strange glow in her cheeks. She was actually flustered, and Elle found that intriguing. Did that mean she enjoyed it?

"So, that's how Peter kissed me. He took me by total surprise," Elle said. Claire looked at her like she was crazy. Elle reached in a pushed a strand of hair behind Claire's ear. The girl now looked like she was in shock. Elle beamed. "Although, Peter isn't as good a kisser as I am."

"You are so mental," Claire said, shaking her head. "It's going to take a long time to detox that Company upbringing." Claire groaned, feeling Elle still straddling her. "Hey, are you going to get off?"

"No," Elle said, looking down at Claire hungrily. She rocked her hips, and Claire elicited an unexpected moan. Claire glared at Elle, as she watched the cheerleader with wonder.

"Hey, we're friends now, aren't we?" Elle asked. Her comical persona was gone again, and she was starting to be serious. Claire knew that Elle had been through a lot, just like she'd been too.

A heavy sigh escaped Claire's lips. "I guess so."

"Good." Elle's mood brightened. "I've never really gotten along with girls. Eden and Candice both hated me."

Claire cocked one eyebrow at her, and Elle began to move away. She continued to sit at Claire's side, watching her in fascination.

"Maybe you shouldn't steal their boyfriends. I think they'd like you then," Claire joked.

Elle pursed her lips and looked away. "Mmm. I don't think it was that. I think it was because I shocked their stupid asses when they tried to use their powers to control me." Claire smiled at her, and Elle laughed. "Of course, I never got a chance to steal their uncles from them."

"Oh please, not this again," Claire bemoaned. Elle zapped her in the arm one last time before getting to her feet. She held her hand out to Claire to help her up - shock-free.

Claire got to her feet, and they started walking back to the car. Before Claire got into the driver's side of her newly replaced Rogue, Elle said one last thing to her.

"Hey, do you think Peter would really freak if I wore your old cheerleader outfit and accosted him?"

Claire pursed her lips again, tilting her head in annoyance. "Elle, you're going to be the death of someone, you know that, don't you?"

Elle nodded happily, bouncing into the driver's seat. She cooed, "Yep. I know."

THE END


End file.
